Carton



Feb 16, 1960 w, FRANKENSTEIN 2,925,211

CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 27. 1954 INVEN TOR. WILLIAM R FRANKENSTEIN Wfl f ZM/ flteorpgy Feb. 16, 1960 w. P. FRANKENSTEIN CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 27, 1954 Aousswz BELOW I N VEN TOR.

W/LL/AM P Fm NKENSTE/IY United States Patent CARTON William P. Frankenstein, Cincinnati, Ohio Application May 27, 1954, Serial No. 432,756 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-34) This invention relates to improvements in boxes or cartons and particularly to improvements in boxes or cartons produced and shipped to the user in knockeddown condition.

Boxes or cartons have been produced in the past and in which the wall-s are formed of hollow constructions, that is, the Walls having spaced apart inner and outer wall members with the wall members of two opposed Walls hingedly connected with respect to the carton bot tom in spaced relation, and whereby the said walls are knocked down for shipment. These cartons or boxes have each wall of similar width, that is, each of the four walls has their inner and outer wall members spaced from one another an equal amount.

By the present invention it is proposed to provide a box or carton in which two opposed walls have their inner and outer wall members spaced from one another a greater distance than the spacing of the said inner and outer Wall members of the remaining walls, and such a construction presents problems not encountered where the said walls are each of the same width and which problems are solved by the construction herein disclosed.

While the disclosure herein will find its most important use with cartons of dissimilar thickness walls, the principles herein disclosed may be employed in constructions where the walls are of the same thickness, or wherein each wall has its inner and outer Wall member substantially similarly spaced from one another.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved box or carton of the hollow-wall variety whereby walls of similar and dissimilar width or thickness may be readily set up or arranged with respect to one another.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a carton or box for accomplishing the foregoing object which is set up from a single unitary blank.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a blank for accomplishing the foregoing objects which. is produced in a knocked-down condition for readily erecting into a desired carton or box.

A still further and specific object of this invention is the provision of a box or carton having two opposed walls each of substantially the same thickness and with the remaining two opposed walls of a width or thickness can be efiiciently and readily erected or set up manually or by a power operated erecting machine.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readiiy apparent by reference to the following specification considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and it is to be inexcess of the first mentioned walls and which carton understood that any modifications may be madein the exactstructural details there or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 an extended plan view of 'a blank, partly shownand described, within thescopeof the appended claims, without departing from 2,925,211 Patented Feb. 16, 1960 knocked down, from which a carton may be erected embodying the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the blank of Fig. 1 in its knocked-down condition and as shipped to the user.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a partially erected carton from the knocked-down blank of Fig. 2..

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 of a completely erected carton.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view, similar to Fig. 5, but through a plane inwardly of that of said Fig. 5, as seen from line 6-6 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is an extended plan View of a half blank, partly knocked down, showing modifications over that in Fi 1.

i ig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2 transversely of a full blank of Fig. 7 in its knocked-down condition as shipped to the user.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an erected carton from the said half blank of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10, similar to Fig. 7, is an extended plan view of a half blank, partly knocked down, showing a further modification in the invention.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a partially erected carton from a complete blank of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a completely erected carton from the blank of Fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view through the completed carton of Fig. 12 as seen from line 13-13 on reference characters are employed to denote the same or f similar parts.

As noted above, this invention pertains, primarily, to

improvements in cartons of the hollow-wall type, that is, cartons wherein the walls have an inner and an outer wall member each spaced from the other, and particularly where the spacing of said wall members in two opposed Walls is greater than the said spacing in the remaining two opposed walls. Specifically, this invention pertains to improvements in a carton in which the so-called end walls thereof are thicker than the side walls and which end walls are foldable with respect to the side walls, since the said side walls have each of their inner and outer wall members hingedly mounted with respect to one another and the carton bottom. The particular problem in this type of a box or carton arises when the knocked-down blank is to be set up, automatically, by a power operated machine.

There is disclosed in the drawings several modifications of cartons or boxes each disclosing specifically slightly diiferent construction, but each embodying the underlying principles or inventive thought of the present invention. cessively described with out wherein it distinctly dilfers from the other.

Specifically, and referring to the modification in Figs.

1 to 6, inclusive, use is madeof a blank provided with i 19 each integrally, hingedly connect with the bottomin the.

panel15 a similar extension 22 and 23 which erected carton form the side wallsthereof.

The said several modifications will be sue? each modification having pointed I 15 has its edges 18 and 19 with the score or fold lines 16 and 18 integrally, hingedly connect Since, as noted above, the end wall extensions are similar it is deemed sufiicient if the specific description be limited to only one of them and, accordingly, the said extension 20 is provided between its score or fold line 16 and its outer end with a plurality of score or fold lines 25, 26 and 27 thereby forming in the said end extension 20 a plurality of similar parallel panelsr28', 29, 30 and 31. end wall outer wall member and has a length equal to the Width of the bottom panel 15 between its, side. score or fold lines 17 and 19. The panel 29 is of'a length substantially equal to that of the panel 28 and forms. the endwall top wall member.- The panel 30 in the erected carton forms the end wall inner wall memberand hasa length substantially shorter than that of the outer wall member or panel 28 and top wall member or panel 29 for a purpose subsequently to be made clear. The end wall inner wall member or panel 30 is provided at each of its upper outer corners with a projecting lug 32 and 33'which, as will presently be made clear, are locking lugs for locking the carton in its erected position. The remaining panel 31 is a spacer panel for spacing the lower or inner end of the carton end wall inner wall member from its outer wall member a distance substantially equal to the spacing of the upper ends of said end wall inner and outer members as effected by the top Wall member or panel 29.

The side wall extensions, similar to the end wall extensions, are substantially similar to one another and it is deemed sufiicient if but one of them, extension 22, for example, be described in detail. Accordingly, the said' side wall extension 22 between its score or fold line 19 and the free end thereof is provided with a plurality of parallel score or fold lines 34, 35 and 36 thereby providing in the extension a plurality of parallel panels 37, 38, 39 and 40. The panel 37, in the erected carton, constitutes or forms the side wall outer wall member and has its ends defined by score or fold-lines 41, and 42 which are. respectively inalignment withv or extensions of the bottom panel and score or fold lines 16 and 18. The said score or fold lines 41 and 42 respectively, hingedly connect with the panel 37 tucking flaps 43 and 44.

The panel 38 in the-erected carton forms the sidewall top wall member which has its ends defined by a out line 45 and 46, while the panel 39, in the erected carton, forms a side wall inner wall member having its ends defined by score or fold lines 47 and 48. It should be noted that the scoreor fold lines 47 and 48 are in alignment with the cut lines 45 and 46, which in turn, are in alignment with the score or fold lines 41 and 42.

.The tucking flaps 43 and 44 each has one edge, the upper edge upon erection of the carton, defined by. a score or fold line 50 and 51 through which there is hingedly connected, respectively, with said tucking'flaps 43 and 44, apanel 52 and 53. The-panels 52 and 53,

therefore, respectively, have one edge, in the'erected carton the outer edge, defined by the-score or'foldrlines 50. and. 51 andsaid panels 52 and- 53' have their other edge, in the erected carton inner edge, in part, defined by a score or fold line 54 and 55. The said panels 52 and 53, respectively, through their score or fold lines 54 and 55 have integrally, hingedly connected therewith a tucking flaps 56 and 57 which have their, in the erected carton, vertical outer edges defined by a score or fold line 58 and 59. The score or fold line 58 is' parallel with and spaced from the side' wall inner wall member or panel 39 end score 47 and integrally, hingedly connects with a panel 60,- while, similarly, the score or fold line 59 of: the tucking flap 57 is spaced from the side wall inner wall member or panel endscore, 48; to, correspondingly, integrally, hingedly connect, with one. another a panel 61. a

The tuckingflaps43, and 56 together with the panel 52 therebeuveenconstitute or forma single tucking flap,

In the erected carton the panel 28 forms the V flattened positions of Fig. 2 to upstand from the main or 4 U-shaped in cross-section, having a width equal to the width of the side wall top wall member or panel 38, while the similar members or tucking flaps 44 and 57 together with the panel 53 form a tucking flap at the other end of the side wall, again of U-shape and of a width substantially equal to the width of the said side wall top wall member or panel 38. The panels 60 and 61, respectively, form a hinge connection of the U-shaped tucking flaps permitting the positioning of said flaps transversely of the carton bottom panel, or at right angles to the side walls.

It will be noted that the side walls top wall members .or panels 33 are of appreciably less width than the panels or top wall members of the end walls 29 and since the said end walls are folded to embrace the said tucking flaps, some means should be provided on which the end walls members or panels are folded. In the past, and with the side and end walls of equal width or thicknes's, this folding was effected along the upper edgeof the tucking flap 56. In the presentconstruction the said folding edge is inwardly of the end wall inner wall member folding. score 26, Wherefore each of the tucking flaps 56 and 57 is provided with a substantially u-shaped'cut 62 and 63 for providing a tongue 64 and 65 respectively integral with and. projecting from the tucking flaps upper horizontal panels 52 and 53. V I l The said tongues 64 and 65 each has a width inwardly of the end wall inner wall member equal to the difference between the end walls and side walls top wall members or panels 29 and 38. By this construction, and as will later be made clear, the end walls each has, its inner wall member downwardly foldedon the score or fold line 26 which would break at the edge of the tongues 64 and 65.

It. has been found, however, that, particularly when the blank is set up by machine, this inner wall member breaking is not as fully desired and that a breaking edge should be provided at the ends of said wall members. Accordingly, the side walls inner wall members or panels 39 are each provided, inwardly of its end score or fold lines 47' and 48, and downwardly of the upper edge thereof when erected with U-shaped cuts 66 and 67 thereby providing in each side wall inner wall member or panel 39 inwardly forth, the glue flap or panel 40 has applied. to its upper 1 surface, adhesive 72,, whereupon the. side wall extensions are respectively folded on its score or fold line 34 for disposing the said glue flap of each extension on the main or bottom panel 15 inthe position illustrated for the ex tension 21 at the upper end of Fig. 1.

The blank is now in its knocked-down positioni as illustrated in cross-section in Fig. 2 and it is in this conditionthat the blank is shipped to the user.

The user upon desiring to set up the carton does so' by first raising the sidewalls from their knocked-down orbottom panel as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

This. upward swinging of the side walls automatically positions their inner andouter wall members to be parallel:- to one another and spaced from one another in accordance V with the width of the top wall members 38. ThiSQOSitiOIla 4 ing of the sidewallsautomatically projects the tongues 68:. and 69into the interior of the box or carton, as, clearly, illustrated in Fig. 31 The upward swinging of the sidewalls carries with it the tucking fla'psipanels 43, 44, 56 and.

57 and automatically positions the tonguesf64 andf65to project outwardly of the tucking flaps panels 53ja'nd 54.; The use'rthen inwardly swings the U-shaped tucking the bottom panel 15. The said inner edges of the tongues 64 and 65 are in alignment withthe innerside edge of each of the side wall tongues 68 and 69 and this line is inwardly of the outer edge of the side walls outer ends the distance corresponding to the width of the end walls top wall members or panels 29. i Upon the positioning of the tucking flaps the end wall extensions are respectively folded on their respective several score or fold lines for disposing the panels at right angles to one another and with the spacer flap 31 positioned to'space the lower ends of the end walls inner and outer wall members from one another the same distance that the upper ends thereof are spaced by the top wall member or panel 29.

By this construction the top wall member of each end wall is transversely reinforced adjacent each end, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5, and the said top Wall member is, likewise, transversely braced for a considerable distance intermediate the said end bracings thereof, see Fig. 6. It will further be noted that the front of the end walls inner wall members, with respect to their outer wall members, is defined for a considerable distance transversely of the box or carton between the side walls thereof.

The modification illustrated in'Figs. 7, 8 and 9 consists solely in providing the side walls with a bottom wall member. To accomplish this, the blank has the glue flap 40' thereof spaced from the side Wall inner Wall member or panel 39 by a panel 73 which is connected With the said side wall inner wall member or panel 39 through the score or fold line 36,.while the glue flap 40 is connected with the saidbottom wall member or panel 73 through a score or fold line 74. Adhesive 72 is applied to the undersurface of the glue flap 40' as seen in Fig.7.

In arranging the blank of Fig. 7 into its knocked-down condition as illustrated in Fig. 8, the said glue flaps 40' are, respectively, first folded on their score or fold lines 74 to expose the adhesive 72, whereupon the said side walls extensions are respectively folded, as above, on their score or fold lines 34. This folding of the blank of Fig. 7 disposes theglue flaps 40' respectively, onto its panel or side wall inner wall member 37 instead of onto the blank main or bottom panel 15 as above set forth. The blank is then in its carton knocked-down condition as illustrated in Fig. 8.

The blank of Fig. 7 is set up from its knocked-down condition of Fig. 8 in the same manner as above set forth. By this construction, the side walls are given a substantially tubular construction and said side walls may have their scores or fold lines broken prior to the erection of the carton. In other words, the side walls may be set up as illustrated in phantom lines and indicated by the reference numeral 75 in Fig. 8 prior to the actual erection of the carton. n

The remaining modification illustrated in Figs. 10 to 13, inclusive, accomplishes the same purpose as the modifications above described, except thatno use is made of a tucking flap with the means on which the end walls inner wall members are folded. Instead, theside walls provide the sole means on which the end walls inner wall members are'folded.

As shown in Fig. 10, in each side wall extension, it'

being understood that the full blank is symmetrical, the side wall inner wall member 76 has each of its ends defined by a out line 77 which are. inwardly of the main or bottom panel end score or fold line 16 and 18 and each of said side walls inner wall members 76 is therefore of less length than the said main or bottom panel 15. Each of the side walls top wall members or panels 78 is provided at its ends with a score or fold line 79 instead of the out line 45 as in the blank of Fig. 1. Each of the said side walls top wall members or panels 78 is further provided at its end with a lug 80 which takes up the space at each end of each side wall that the said side walls inner wall members 76 are respectively short of the length of the main or bottomv panel 15. The width of each of the lugs 80 is substantially equal to the width of the end wall top wall member or panel 29.

Each of the side walls top wall members or panels 78 through each of its end score or fold lines 79 has connected at eachend thereof a corner piece 81 which in turn through a score or fold line 82 has integrally, hingedly connected therewith a tucking flap 83 which corresponds to the tucking flap 43 of the blank in Fig. l and which.

tucking flap 83 is connected through the score or fold line 41 with the adjacent end of a side wall outer wall member or panel 37. i

In practice, the corner piece 81 may be referred to as a bellows comer since it is provided with a diagonal or score line 84 and on which the bellows corner 81 is folded bellowswise.

The-blankof Fig. 10 is further modified to the extent that each of the end walls inner wall members is devoid of the locking lugs 32 and 33 and instead has its ends defined by score or fold lines 85 and 86 which respectively, integrally, hingedly connect with said end wall inner .wall member, flaps 87 and 88. The flaps 87 and 88, as will presently be made clear, are locking means for interlocking with the side walls lugs 80.

After the blank of Fig. 10 has been cut and scored as i above described and illustrated in Fig. 10, the adhesive 72 is applied to the glue flap 40 of each side Wall extension,

as above set forth, and the said side wall extensions are respectively folded on their score or fold lines 3482 for bringing the adhesive 72 into engagement with the main or bottom panel 15. The upper side wall, or extension 23", in Fig. 10 isillustrated in its folded position.

The user erects the carton by raising the side walls from their folded or fiat positions to upstand from the bottom panel as clearly disclosed in Fig. ll. 6

It will be understood that upon the erection of th modification in Fig.- l0 and after the side walls have been raised from their knocked-down to their upstanding positions the bellows corners 81 are each downwardly bent on its diagonal fold or score line 84 while at the same time transversely disposing same, as Well as the tucking flap 83, on the main or bottom panel 15.

The end Wall extensions are then successively erected by first raising same to be normal to the main or bottom panel as illustrated for the right-hand end of Fig. 11. The locking lugs 87 and 88 are then folded on their-respective score or fold lines 85 and 86 to project normal to the end wall inner Wall member or panel 30. The top Wall and inner Wall members," as well as the spacer flap 31, are then folded to be normal to one another, said folding being toward the interior of the box or carton as seen in Fig. 11.

This folding of the end walls causes the locking lugs 87 and 88 to bexdisposed beneath the side walls inwardly projectinglugs and these lugs 80 form or constitute a line oredge on which the end wall inner wall member is bent namely, on thescore or fold line 26. lugs 87 and 88 after being arranged beneath wall lugs80 outwardly spring, a natural result due to The locking their temporary folding from their normal extended posi-.

bers are utilized but in which the said wall members are of dissimilar Widths and at the same time there has been provided a means or structure whereby the said box or carton may be readily erected.

What is claimed is:

1. A box or carton of the class described comprising the said side.

7 a main or bottom panel having upstanding from two opposed edges thereof sidewalls each having an outer, atop and an inner wall member, means for hingedly securing the inner wall members relative to thebottom panel and outer wall members whereby said sidewalls may be folded flat with their wall members on one another, an end wall upstanding at each of the remaining opposed edges of the bottom panel with each end wall comprising an outer wall member, a top wall member and an inner wall member integrally, hingedly connected to one another, said end wall top wall members each having a width greater than the Width of the top wall members of the side walls, lugs cut from each side Wall inner Wall member to project interiorly of the carton in the plane of the side walls top wall members and With each lug having an inner edge spaced from its side wall end a dis tance equal to the width of the end Walls top wall members and on which edges the said end walls inner wall members are bent to depend interiorly of the carton, a

tucking flap at each end of each sidewall with each tuck ing flap comprising a pair of vertically disposed panels of, respectively, a height equal to the side walls inner and outer wall members, each tucking flap includinga connecting panel connecting the vertically disposed panels thereby forming a U-shaped tucking flap to be transversely of the main or bottom panel and enfolded by the end walls inner and outer wall members, a lug cut from a panel of each tucking flap and projecting inwardly of the carton in the plane of the tuckingflap connecting panel and with said lugs each having its inner edge aligned with the aforementioned inner edge of the side wall lugs for defining the line of fold and descent of the end walls inner wall members, and cooperating means on the side and end walls inner wall members for locking said Walls in erected positions.

2. A box or carton of the class described comprising a main or bottom panel having upstanding from two opposed edges thereof side walls each having an outer, a top', an inner and a bottom wall member, a glue flap integrally, hingedly connected to each bottom wall member for hingedly securing each bottom wall member to its outer wall member whereby said side walls may be folded flat with their wall members on one another, an end wall upstanding at each of the remaining opposed edges of the bottom panel with each end wall comprising an outer wall member, a top- Wall member and: an inner wall member integrally, hingedly connected to one another, said end walls top wall members each having a width greater than the width of the top wall members of the side walls, lugs cut from each side wall inner wall member to project interiorly of the carton in the plane of the side walls top wall members and with each lug having an inner edge spaced from its side wall end a distance equal to the width of the end walls top wall members and on which edges the said end walls inner Wall members are bent to depend interiorly of the carton, a tucking flap at each end of each side Wall with each tucking flap comprising a pair of vertically disposed panels of, respectively, a height equal to the side walls inner and outer wall members, each tucking fiapincluding. a connecting panel connecting the vertically disposed panels thereby forming a U-shaped tucking flap to be. transversely of the or bottom panel and enfoldedby the end walls inner and outer wall members, a lug cut from a panel of each tucking flap and projecting inwardly of the carton in the plane of the tucking flap connecting panel and with said lugs each having its inner edge'al igned with the aforementioned inner edge of the side wall lugs for defining the line of fold and descent of the end walls inner wall members, and cooperating means on the side and end walls inner wall members for locking said walls in erected positions,

' 3. 'A box or carton of theclass described comprisinga main or bottom panel having upstanding from two opposed edges thereof side walls each having an outer, a top, and an inner 'wall member, a glue flap integrally,

hingedly connected to each inner wall member for hingedly securing each inner wall member to the main or bottom panel whereby said side wallsmay be folded fiat with their wall members "on one another, an end .wall

upstanding at each of the remaining opposed edges of the bottom panel with each end wall comprising an outer wall member, a top wall member and an inner wall member integrally, hingedly connected to one another,

said end walls top w'allmemberseach having a width greater than the Width of the top wall members of the 1 ing' flap at each end of-each side wall with each tucking" flap' comprising a pair of vertically disposed panels of, respectively, a height equal to the side walls innerand outer wall members, each tucking flap including a connectingpanel connecting the vertically disposed panels thereby forming a U-shaped tucking flap to be transverselyof the main or bottom panel and enfolded by the end walls inner and outer wall members, a lug cut from a panel of each tucking flap and projecting inwardly of the carton in the plane of the tucking flap connecting panel and with said lugs each having its inneredge aligned with the aforementioned inner edge of the side wall lugs fordefining the line of fold and descent of the end walls inner wall members, and cooperating means onthe side and end walls inner wall members for locking said walls in erected positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent Canada Ian. 8.195 2 

